The Road Home

By Jim Harrison

This is the story of Jim Harrison's captivating heroine, Dalva, and her peculiar and remarkable family. It encompasses the voices of Dalva's grandfather, John Northridge, the austere half-Sioux patriarch; Naomi, the widow of his favourite son and namesake; Paul, the first Northridge son, who lived in the shadow of his brother; and Nelse, the son taken from Dalva at birth who has now returned to find her. It is a family history drenched in suffering and joy, imbued with fierce independence and love, rooted in the Nebraska soil, and intertwined with the destiny of whites and Native Americans in the American West. Epic in scope, stretching from the close of the nineteenth century to the present day, The Road Home is a stunning and trenchant novel written with humour, humanity, and an inimitable evocation of the American spirit.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Dec 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781447217497

Jim Harrison

Jim Harrison is a poet, novelist and essayist. His trilogy, The Legend of the Falls, has been adapted for film.

Reviews for The Road Home

[midlandsowl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the few books I have read more than once! And for good reason. Harrison's understanding of the history and natural history of this region, fantastic use of multiple perspectives, and characterisation make this such a rewarding read. I'll admit, I struggled with it at times, particularly the prose style of Dalva's grandfather, but it was worth it. This sounds sad, but you actually miss the characters when you finish it, which shows how well developed they are. I need to dig out my copy of Dalva now which I fear may be lost! Problem is it's q-hard to get hold of Harrison's writing over in the UK. Damm shame!

[kyleblack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stunning. This book left me shaken and wishing the characters could stay with me just a bit longer. My grandfather introduced me to Jim Harrison this winter and I will always be incredibly grateful. One of the best location/genealogical centered novels I've read since One Hundred Years of Solitude. Harrison knows his characters and the Nebraska country well. Nothing is romantic or overdrawn about this. Just raw, beautiful and devastating.A plus

[jbreedlove_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The conclusion of Dalva. Dalva walks her road from Nebraska to the Keys. Written mostly from a female's point of view Harrison's oblique view of people and places provides material for rumination and his descriptive writing provides a definite sense of place.